Enterprise: Lula Eye Masks
Why they stand out online: Lula has grown rapidly, achieving a quarter of a million dollars’ worth of sales in its first six months of trading.
The mission of the Lula Eye Mask brand is to inspire moments of rest that lead to calm and joy in women’s busy lives.
Rest is something that became even more important to Lula’s co-founders, Aisling and Margaret Cunningham when the sisters were both diagnosed with breast cancer just six weeks apart in 2020, only a month after deciding to launch the brand.
“As busy, single mums of young kids, we knew we wanted to create a product that helps us prioritise more rest in our lives and deal a little more easily with the chaos of everyday life,” Margaret says.
“When we tried our eye masks for the first time, we knew there was nothing like them in Australia – they were exactly what we needed and we realised they might help others, too.”
Balancing recuperation from their treatment with research and development, Aisling and Margaret brought Lula to market in July 2022.
“We have made a conscious decision to always work with female-owned small businesses whenever we can.”
Lula is no ordinary sleep mask. “When you open one, iron particles inside the mask meet the air and a natural oxidation process occurs. It begins to warm up and creates a fine mist, helping soothe the eyes and mind,” Aisling explains. “It can help with sleep as well as dry and tired eyes, digital eye strain, migraines and headaches, relaxation and meditation, and can be used while travelling.” The masks are also scented with essential oils for added help with sleep and relaxation. Customers can choose from the subtle scents of rose, jasmine, lavender or grapefruit, with an unscented version for those sensitive to fragrance.
“We have made a conscious decision to always work with female-owned small businesses whenever we can.”
Since launching, the sisters’ message for “more guilt-free rest” has resonated with many. “The name ‘Lula’ means ‘warrior’ and it is so perfect for us and our brand, as we believe every woman is a warrior and that even warriors need to rest,” Aisling says.
As single mothers, flexibility is paramount to both Aisling and Margaret. “We knew creating an eCommerce business that we can run from our phones any time of the day and anywhere was what we needed to do,” Aisling explains. She leverages her creativity and past experience as a graphic designer and artist to look after Lula’s website, social media and marketing. Margaret is the logistics, financial and analytics part of the business partnership, drawing on her previous 14 years’ experience as a purchasing officer in the health sector. These very different skill sets, experiences and strengths have been what the siblings describe as “the perfect balance” in creating their successful online business.
Aisling and Margaret understood they didn’t know enough to do everything themselves but didn’t want to take on employees, so whatever they can’t do they outsource. “We have made a conscious decision to always work with female-owned small businesses whenever we can,” Aisling avers. “Our graphic designer, our warehouse and shipping, our photographers, our PR agency – they are all women-led businesses and we think this is very important. As well as supporting other women, we have found these businesswomen have understood our mission, our product and our customers’ needs. We have also found them to be so generous in sharing their knowledge and expertise, so our own knowledge in different areas has grown incredibly in a short time.”
Lula has grown rapidly – it achieved an unexpected quarter of a million dollars’ worth of sales in the first six months of trading – and doesn’t plan to slow down. The sisters will be launching new products to complement their eye masks in the coming months, and also plan to expand the wholesale part of the business.
This article first appeared in issue 42 of the Inside Small Business quarterly magazine
